Personal information system

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods realize the benefit of portable storage devices by taking advantage of PCs including an optical disk drive, optical disks, such as a CD or a DVD, and the Internet. An individual patient provides personal data to a healthcare service center. The healthcare service center can then create a portable optical disk for the patient to carry. The personal data written onto the portable optical disk is stored on a database management server database and is readable and updateable by the individual patient using his/her PC with an optical disk drive and connected to the Internet. The individual patient can choose to update his/her personal data on the portable optical disk and can receive a new portable optical disk that includes the update. The new portable optical disk containing the latest update is created and delivered to the patient by the database management server.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE TO ANY PRIORITY APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of 15/439,329, filed Feb. 22, 2017,which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/789,780,filed Jul. 1, 2015, now abandoned, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/082,022, filed Apr. 7, 2011, now U.S.Pat. No. 9,111,017, which is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/591,889, filed Nov. 2, 2006, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,979,387,which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/781,605,filed Feb. 12, 2001, now abandoned, which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Application No. 60/181,985, filed Feb. 11, 2000, the entiredisclosures of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference hereinin their entireties for all purposes.

In addition, any and all applications for which a foreign or domesticpriority claim is identified in the Application Data Sheet as filed withthe present application are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to an information system. Moreparticularly, the invention relates to systems and methods for providingpersonal information including medical information using portablecompact disc storage media, ubiquitous personal computers, and Internetbrowsers.

Description of the Related Art

The advantages of storing medical information on portable devices suchas smartcards have been widely publicized. Storing medical informationon portable devices enables one to carry on one's person potentiallylife-saving medical information. Healthcare providers such as emergencymedical technicians can have immediate access to personal medical datasuch as drug allergies in emergency situations. However, despite thewell-recognizable benefits, carrying one's personal data includingmedical data has not become a widespread practice.

There are several reasons for this phenomenon. For example, whileportable devices such as smartcards can be used to store medical data,they require special equipment to read from and to write thereon. Thespecial equipment is not a typical component of the ubiquitous personalcomputer (PC) thereby limiting the usefulness and the benefit of thesmartcards. Additionally, due to limited use, the cost of the smartcardshas not been reduced to the same extent as, for example, the compactdisc (CD) including compact disc read only memory (CD ROM), compact discrecordable (CD R), compact disk recordable and writable (CD RW). CDs areused in many industries to store large amounts of data including audio,video, as well as text in a cost effective manner. Likewise, equipmentto read CDs, such as a CD drive, is widely available and has become astandard component of the ubiquitous PC.

Other devices such as floppy disks pose problems as well. For example,these devices are not truly portable. They cannot be carried easily andconveniently in a wallet, for example. They require a special carryinggadget resulting in inconvenience, and thereby reducing the likelihoodthat they would be carried at all. Moreover, with the popularity and thereduced cost of CDs, floppy disks and the associated drives are becomingobsolete and are being replaced by the CD technology.

An additional factor contributing to the lack of widespread use of theportable devices is the method of storing, retrieving, and updating thepersonal data on the portable devices. Currently, the personal data thatare typically stored on the portable devices are predetermined as tocontent. An individual patient normally does not have the option or theability to customize the personal data that he/she desires to carry onthese portable devices.

This lack of flexibility is the outcome of the industry practice andalso the use of special access software programs to update the personaldata. Industry practice is to generally provide a predetermined set ofdata on these storage devices. The purpose of the standardization is tofacilitate and make implementation and maintenance of the storagedevices easier. This ease, however, bas come at the cost of losingflexibility. Furthermore, storing, retrieving, and updating the data onthese portable devices require the use of special software programs,which are generally provided or sold to institutions and not toindividual patients. Lack of access to the personal data for theindividuals makes use of the portable personal data storage devices lessdesirable, and therefore, less widespread.

There exists a need for a system and method that resolve theshortcomings of these methods and systems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides systems and methods to realize thepotential benefit of portable storage devices by taking advantage ofstandard PCs, cost effective optical disks, such as, for example, CDsand digital video discs (DVDs), and the Internet. As used herein, astandard PC or ubiquitous PC is defined as any personal computerincluding an optical disk drive capable of reading an optical disk, suchas a CD or a DVD.

The present invention provides a personal information system comprisinga subscriber computer with an optical disk drive, a portable opticaldisk readable by the optical disk drive, a database management server,an optical disk writer, and a subscriber interface to view the personaldata stored on the portable optical disk. The optical disk writer isused to write personal data stored on the database management serveronto the portable optical disk.

One embodiment of the present invention comprises a subscriber. Asubscriber is any person or entity that subscribes to a service thatprovides and maintains personal data on a central database serveraccessible via the Internet. The personal data may include, for example,demographics, an image of the patient, insurance information, driverlicense number, social security number, emergency contact information,medical conditions, medical history, current medications, drugallergies, blood types, x-ray images, lab reports, a living will, apower of attorney, or conditions of admission to a medical facility.This is an example list of different types of data. It is contemplatedthat other types of data can be included, and the present invention isnot limited to particular types of data. The personal data may be storedand viewed in a variety of formats including text, audio, images, and/orvideo formats. A subscriber may be an individual patient, a physician'soffice or a healthcare service center. The healthcare service center caninclude, for example, a hospital or a clinic.

One embodiment also comprises a subscriber system including an opticaldisk drive. In the case where the subscriber is an individual patient,the subscriber system would likely be a typical home PC. In the casewhere the subscriber is a physician's office, the subscriber system isalso likely to be a PC. In the case where the subscriber is a healthcareservice center such as a hospital, the subscriber system would likely bea central computer system serving one or more local area networks (LAN),each LAN serving a different department within the hospital, forexample. One embodiment also comprises a communication network, such asthe Internet, to which the subscriber systems may be networked. Oneembodiment also includes a database management server networked to theInternet.

In one embodiment, an individual patient provides personal data to ahealthcare service center. The healthcare service center then creates aportable optical disk for the patient to carry, if he/she so desires. Inone embodiment, the portable optical disk comprises a credit-card sizedCD ROM card. U.S. Pat. No. 5,982,736, titled TRADING CARD OPTICALCOMPACT DISC—METHOD OF USING AND FORMING SAME, which is incorporatedherein in its entirety by reference, discloses a process for creatingcredit-card sized CD ROM cards. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill inthe art will understand how to create credit-card sized CD ROM cards.The personal data that is written onto the portable optical disk isreadable and updateable by the individual patient using his/her PC withan optical disk drive and connected to the Internet. The individualpatient can choose to become a subscriber after receiving his/heroptical disk from the healthcare service provider. The individualpatient subscriber can choose to update his/her personal data on theoptical disk and can receive a new portable optical disk that includesthe update. The new optical disk containing the latest update is createdand delivered to the patient subscriber by the database managementserver.

In another embodiment, an individual patient becomes a subscriberdirectly with the service that maintains the personal data on thedatabase management server rather than becoming a subscriber via thehealthcare service center. The patient subscribes to the databaseservice using his/her PC connected to the Internet. The patient entershis/her personal data using his/her PC connected to the Internet. Thedatabase management server receives the personal data, creates aportable optical disk containing the personal data provided by theindividual patient and delivers the portable optical disk to thepatient. As in the previous embodiment, the personal data that iswritten onto the portable optical disk is readable and updateable by theindividual patient subscriber using his/her PC, which includes anoptical disk drive. The subscriber can choose to receive an updatedoptical disk from the database management server at any time.

In another embodiment, an individual patient subscriber provides thepersonal data to a healthcare service center. The healthcare servicecenter then creates a portable optical disk and delivers it to thepatient. In this embodiment, the healthcare service center can maintainthe updates to the patient's personal data within its own database.

In another one embodiment, the patient updates his/her personal data byaccessing the healthcare service center web site rather than byaccessing the database management server web site. Additionally, thehealthcare service center does not produce any optical disks. Rather,all optical disks are produced by database management server.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features will now be described with reference to thedrawings summarized below. These drawings and the associated descriptionare provided to illustrate various embodiments of the invention, and notto limit the scope of the invention. Like reference numbers representcorresponding components throughout.

FIG. 1 illustrates a personal information system in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a flow diagram of a process for producing portableoptical disks in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a personal information system in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a personal information system in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

In the following detailed description, reference is made to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and which show, by wayof illustration. specific embodiments or processes in which theinvention may be practiced. Where possible, the same reference numbersare used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or likecomponents. In some instances, numerous specific details are set forthin order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention.The present invention, however, may be practiced without the specificdetails or with certain alternative equivalent devices and/or componentsand methods to those described herein. In other instances, well-knownmethods and devices and/or components have not been described in detailso as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the present invention.

I. System Overview

FIG. 1 illustrates a personal information system 100 in accordance withone embodiment of the present invention. The system 100 comprises apatient's PC 100 including an optical disk drive 112, a physician'soffice PC 115 including an optical disk drive 117, a healthcare servicecenter central computer (HSCCC) 120 including a database 122 and anoptical disk writer 127, an Internet 130, and a database managementserver (DMS) 140 including a database 142 and an optical disk writer144.

Referring to FIG. 1, the patient's PC 110, the physician's office PC115, and the healthcare service center central computer 120 may all beconnected to the Internet 130 via connections 111, 116, and 121,respectively. The database management server 140 is connected to theInternet 130 via the connection 141. Additionally, the healthcareservice center central computer 120 may further be connected to one ormore additional local area networks (LANs) 126 connected via theconnection 128.

FIG. 2 illustrates a flow diagram of a process 200 for producingportable optical disks in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention. At a step 210, a patient provides personal data to ahealthcare service center, and the healthcare service center receivesthe personal data at a step 210A. The patient can provide the personaldata to the healthcare service center in a variety of ways. For example,the patient can provide the personal data by filling out a written form,by answering questions posed by a clerk or by electronic means.Electronic means may include, for example, downloading personal datapre-stored on the database management server 140 shown in FIG. 1 or onany electronic storage devices.

At a step 220, the personal data provided by the patient and received bythe healthcare service center is stored in a database 122 residing onthe HSCCC 120. The personal data received by the healthcare servicecenter can be entered into its database 122 using an interface to ahospital information system (HIS). HIS is an information systemgenerally installed at various hospitals. The interface used to enterthe personal data into the database 122 is likely to be specific to thehealthcare service center and, therefore, can be varied in its look andfeel. It is contemplated that different interfaces can be used, and theinvention is not limited to using any particular interface for thepurpose of entering personal data into the HSCCC 120.

At a step 230, the healthcare service center can create and issue aportable optical disk, and the patient receives the portable opticaldisk at a step 230A. The healthcare service center can create and issuea portable optical disk to a patient any time after receiving thepersonal data from the patient. The portable optical disk contains thepersonal data and is created using the optical disk writer 127. Theoptical disk writer 127 can be network-connected and can be madeaccessible by any of the PCs connected to the LAN at the healthcareservice center much like a network printer that is accessible by any ofthe pes in a network. This configuration allows any PC in the network toinitiate the procedure to create an optical disk.

The portable optical disk that is created and issued by the healthcareservice center can contain healthcare service center-specific data orcan contain generic data viewable and useable by any computer system.The personal data can be stored on the optical disk in a variety offormats. In one embodiment, the data is stored in an HTML or an XMLformat.

The portable optical disk can be made healthcare service center-specificnot only as to the types of personal data that it contains but also asto the way the personal data can be viewed when played from an opticaldisk drive. The portable optical disk can contain, for example, a listof physicians affiliated with the specific healthcare service center.The portable optical disk can also contain, for example, a list oftelephone numbers for the various departments within the specifichealthcare service center. The portable optical disk can also containpromotional material specific to the healthcare service center as wellas hotlinks to various web sites including its own web site, forexample.

On the other hand, the portable optical disk can be made to containgeneric data viewable and downloadable to any computer system. Thisconfiguration can provide greater flexibility and use of the opticaldisk. The patient can, for example, carry the portable optical disk fromone healthcare service center to another without having to duplicate anyof the information contained therein since any center can view anddownload the information into its own computer system. For instance, ageneric portable optical disk can be created and issued by a hospital toa patient upon admission to the hospital for a surgery. Upon dischargefrom the hospital, the patient can take the portable optical disk to aphysician's office wherein the physician's office can load the portableoptical disk into its office PC to view, and optionally to download, thepersonal data that was written onto the portable optical disk. Theportable optical disk can contain all the details of the surgery as wellas the demographics and the insurance information, for example.

The benefit and the convenience to the patient, the physician's office,and the hospital provided by the portable optical disks are apparent:The patient need not fill out any new forms, and need not provide anyinsurance or any other pertinent yet duplicative information regardinghis/her medical conditions or history.

In addition, the physician's office benefits since data entry effortsare minimized along with the related transcription errors. Thephysician's office saves time in other ways also. For example, it neednot obtain pertinent medical information such as lab reports or x-raysfrom the hospital since they can be stored on the portable optical diskand viewable from the physician's office PC. Moreover, the physician'soffice can provide better service to the patient as a result of havingimmediate access to all the pertinent medical data. The physician'soffice can provide quicker service and can prevent the cost andinconvenience of duplicative tests, for example.

The hospital benefits by the use of the portable optical disks as well.Any pertinent data such as, for example, surgery details, lab reports,x-rays, can be transferred to the physician's office via the portableoptical disk rather than having to manually respond to request for suchinformation by a physician's office. As can be clearly appreciated, theconvenience to all parties increases dramatically as the number ofphysicians visited by the patient increases.

The portable optical disk use and its benefits become even moresignificant when the patient moves to another area of the country orwhen the patient is traveling. The patient need not wait theextraordinary amount of time generally required to transfer his/hermedical information from his/her previous physicians' offices or fromany of the hospitals. Likewise, any pertinent data can be readilyaccessed from the portable optical disk that the patient is carryingduring the time he/she is traveling.

Furthermore, access to the personal data on the optical disks can becontrolled to provide security of the personal data contained therein.For example, the personal data may be made accessible only to authorizedusers who correctly enter a patient-selected password. However, sincethis feature may hinder emergency staff from accessing the data in anemergency, the access control feature is preferably a feature selectableby the patient on a patient-by-patient basis.

Still referring to FIG. 2, at a step 235, the HSCCC 120 can format thepersonal data to be transferred to the DMS 140. The HSCCC 120 mayor maynot format the personal data prior to transferring the data to the DMS140. The personal data to be transferred to the DMS 140 can be in avariety of formats including HL-7, ASCII, SQL, HTML, and XML formats,for example. In one embodiment, the industry standard HL-7 format isused. The HL-7 standard describes a way of formatting data to provideconsistency and usability of the data by different applications. It iscontemplated that different data formats can be used, and the inventionis not limited to using any particular format.

At a step 240, the HSCCC 120 connects to the Internet 130 via theconnection 121 and transfers the personal data to the DMS 140. The DMS140 receives the data at a step 240A. A session to transfer the personaldata from the HSCCC 120 to the DMS 140 can be initiated by the HSCCC 120or by the DMS 140.

For example, the session to transfer the personal data from the HSCCC120 can be initiated by the HSCCC 120 and can occur in real-time or in abatch mode on a prearranged schedule. In addition, the data transfer canoccur in any mode that will permit the personal data to be transferredto the DMS 140. The HSCCC 120 can, for example, dial into the DMS 140and transfer the personal data. The HSCCC 120 can also, for example,broadcast packets of the personal data with the appropriate destinationaddress targeted to the DMS 140.

The session to transfer the personal data from the HSCCC 120 to the DMS140 can also be initiated by the DMS 140. As in the case where the datatransfer is initiated by the HSCCC 120, the data transfer can occur inreal-time or in a batch mode and can occur in any mode that will permitthe personal data to be transferred to the DMS 140. The DMS 140 can, forexample, dial into the HSCCC 120, retrieve the awaiting personal data,and transfer it. The DMS 140 can also, for example, remain in a pollingmode and extract the data intended for the DMS 140.

Furthermore, the transfer of personal data preferably occurs in a securemode in compliance with various security standards including the RSA 5Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol. The RSA 5 SSL protocol uses 128 bitencryption on all information sent to and from the DMS 140. In addition,the data stored in the database 142 can be encrypted using the DesktopEncryption Standards (DES), DES III or Blowfish. It is contemplated thatdifferent encryption methods can be used, and the invention is notlimited to using any particular encryption method.

The security of data is also preferably maintained in compliance withthe Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). TheHIPAA legislation was passed to mandate a certain level of security toprotect the health and medical information that have become widelyavailable in electronic formats transmittable over public networks suchas the Internet.

At a step 250, the patient can play the portable optical disk on his/herPC to review the information contained therein. In one preferredembodiment, the optical disk can auto-play into an Internet web browsersuch as, for example, Microsoft Internet Explorer or the NetscapeNavigator. The optical disk can auto-play into the web browser anddisplay the personal data stored therein. In addition, the optical diskcan contain other navigational tools such as hotlinks to various websites including the web site of the healthcare service center thatissued the optical disk or the database management server web site. Byusing the hotlinks provided on the optical disk, the patient can, forexample, conveniently upload updates of the personal data to the DMS 140at a step 255. The patient can also pre-register for a hospitaladmission, for example, using the hotlinks provided on the optical disk.

The access to the personal data stored in the database 142 can becontrolled by various methods to provide data security. For example,Verisign Certificate Authentication can be used to verify the patientand the information being transmitted to and from the patient's PC 110.A patient-specific identification number such as a pre-assigned medicalrecord number and/or a social security number may be used to access thepatient's records. Other technologies such as embedding and verifyingthe fingerprints on the optical disk may be incorporated to providesignificant levels of patient authentication. It is contemplated thatdifferent methods can be used to control access to the personal datastored in the database 142, and the invention is not limited to usingany particular method.

Still referring to FIG. 2, at a step 245, the database management server140 can process the personal data that it receives from the healthcareservice center central computer 120 in preparation for storage into itsdatabase 142. The DMS 140 can, for example, parse the personal data thatit receives and store the data as an HTML or an XML document into thedatabase 142 if not already in the HTML or the XML format. In apreferred embodiment, the DMS 140 stores the personal data as an HTML oran XML document into the database 142.

At a step 260, the database management server 140 can create a newoptical disk containing the updates sent by the patient using theoptical disk writer 144. The new optical disk is delivered and receivedby the patient at a step 260A. As in the case where the healthcareservice center creates the optical disk, the optical disk writer 144 canbe network-connected to enable the procedure to initiate creating theoptical disk from any PC on the Database Management Server network. Theoptical disk creation process can also be fully automated using roboticstechnology. Robotics technology can be implemented with either of theoptical disk writers 127 or 144 to automate the optical disk writingprocess, the labeling process, the packaging process, and the shipmentprocess, for example.

The patient can repeat the steps 250 and 255 at any time to updatehis/her personal data. The patient may, but is not required to, requesta new optical disk that reflects the latest updates that he/she providesto the DMS 140. Furthermore, the healthcare service center centralcomputer 120 may at any time connect to the database management server140 to download the latest personal data stored on the DMS 140.

In one embodiment, the personal data is provided by the patient directlyto the database management server 140 rather than first providing thedata to a healthcare service center which in tum forwards the data tothe DMS 140. The DMS 140 receives the personal data from the patient,creates, and delivers an optical disk to the patient. Referring to FIG.2, this embodiment could be depicted by deleting the Healthcare ServiceCenter column and starting the process from the step 255.

At the step 255, the patient can send new and/or changed personal datato the DMS 140. The DMS 140 receives the sent data at the step 240A,processes and stores the personal data at the step 245. At the step 260,the DMS can create and send a new optical disk to the patient whoreceives the new optical disk at the step 260A. The patient can repeatthis process at any time to forward new and/or changes to the personaldata that is stored on the DMS 140.

In another embodiment, the personal data is completely contained withinthe healthcare service center and all related processing of the dataoccurs within the healthcare service center. This embodiment providesincreased data security since no personal data is transferred outsidethe healthcare service center central computer 120.

FIG. 3 illustrates a personal information system 300 in accordance withone embodiment of the present invention. The system 300 comprises ahealthcare service center central computer 120 including a database 122,an internal network backbone 128, a network-connected optical diskwriter 127, a kiosk 330, and various department PCs as exemplified bythe Admissions department PC 326A, the Billing department PC 326B, theRadiology department PC 326C. and the Lab #1 PC 326D. Each of thedepartment PCs contain an optical disk drive. Moreover, any of thesedepartments, as well as any other departments within the healthcareservice center, can be served by its own LAN. For example, theAdmissions department can be served by a separate LAN that consists of anumber of PCs including the PCs installed at each Admissionsregistration desk as well as the pes in the various cubicles and theoffices within the Admissions department. The Admissions department LANcan, in turn, be connected to the healthcare service center's internalnetwork backbone via various bridges and/or routers, as appropriate.

Referring to FIG. 2, the process for creating portable optical disksused in connection with the system 300 could be depicted by deleting theDatabase Management Server column. As in the process 200, a patientprovides the personal data to the healthcare service center, whichstores the data in the database 122 of its healthcare service centercentral computer 120. The healthcare service center then creates andissues an optical disk to the patient.

In contrast to the process 200, the patient using the system 300 cannotupdate the personal data by connecting to the database management server140 via the Internet since the central database of personal data ismaintained at the database 122 to increase data security. However, thehealthcare service center may provide a kiosk 330 that includes a userinterface. The patient can use the interface to enter updates to thepersonal data that is stored on the database 122. The user interfaceprovided at the kiosks can be displayed in a variety of formats. Thehealthcare service center can setup a number of kiosks at variouslocations throughout the healthcare service center for the patients' useand convenience. The kiosks may also include an optical disk drive toallow the patient to view the information stored on the optical disk aswell.

As in the process 200, the healthcare service center will create andissue the initial optical disk, but the healthcare service center willalso create and issue new optical disks that reflect any additions orchanges to the personal data.

In another embodiment, the patient updates his/her personal data byaccessing the healthcare service center web site rather than byaccessing the database management server 140. Additionally, thehealthcare service center does not produce any optical disks and alloptical disks are produced by an offsite database management server.FIG. 4 illustrates a personal information system 400 in accordance withone embodiment of the present invention. The system 400 comprises apatient's PC 110 including an optical disk drive 112 and connected tothe Internet 130 via the connection 111. The system 400 furthercomprises a healthcare service center central computer 120 including adatabase 122 and connected to the Internet 130 via the connection 121,an internal network backbone 128, one or more LANs 126, a databasemanagement server 140 including a database 142 and a network-connectedoptical disk writer 144 and connected to the Internet 130 via theconnection 141, and a healthcare service center web site server (HSCWSS)420 including a database 422 and connected to the Internet 130 via aconnection 421.

In the system 400, the patient provides the personal data to thehealthcare service center which is in turn stored in the database 122.The database management server 140 thereafter either receives orretrieves the personal data stored in the database 122, as in theprocess 200. The DMS 140 then creates and delivers an optical disk tothe patient. In contrast to the process 200, the patient receiveshis/her initial card from the database management server rather than thehealthcare service center.

Subsequent to the receipt of his/her initial optical disk, the patientcan add and/or update his/her personal data by logging onto thehealthcare service center web site server 420. Any such additions and/orupdates to the personal data are received and/or retrieved by the DMS140 either in a real-time mode or in a batch mode from the healthcareservice center web site server 420 via the Internet 130. The DMS 140 cancreate and deliver an updated optical disk to the patient if the patientso requests. The healthcare service center is not engaged in producingoptical disks in the system 400 illustrated in FIG. 4.

The system 400 increases the healthcare service center's ability tobuild patient loyalty and to control patient information. By serving asthe portal through which the patient maintains his/her information, thehealthcare service center has the opportunity to expose the patient tovarious marketing promotions as well as maintaining a visible presencein the patient's mind. In addition, the system 400 allows the healthcareservice center to maintain and access the latest data regarding on anyof its patients with no additional effort on its part. Any additionsand/or changes to the patient's personal data are made by the patient tothe database 422, to which the healthcare service center has fullaccess.

Furthermore, the healthcare service center can implement various schemesto control the access and the types of data that can be changed by thepatient. Various access control schemes, as discussed in connection withthe process 200, may be implemented to provide security. Additionally,the healthcare service center can control the types of data that may bechanged. For example, the healthcare service center may prevent certainfields, such as the field designating the blood type, from beingchanged.

In all of the embodiments described above, the patient has flexibilityto choose what information he/she decides to store and carry on theoptical disk. For example, one individual may only want his/heremergency information such as drug allergies, blood type, emergencycontact information, and current medical conditions. On the other hand,another individual may desire to carry a more comprehensive optical diskcontaining, for example, complete demographics, a power of attorney,insurance data, a video of his/her will, etc. in variety of formatsincluding text, audio, images, and video. Still another individual maydesire to store various family data and vaccination data to leave with ababysitter. Yet another individual may desire to store relatedinformation such as parental consent forms, emergency contactinformation to leave at a child's school. Yet another individual maystore information related to skilled nursing care facility. Since theoptical disk technology offers large data storage capacity in thesecards, the types and the amount of information to be stored thereon islimited only by the imagination and the creativity of the individual.

Although the invention has been described in terms of certain preferredembodiments, other embodiments that will be apparent to those ofordinary skill in the art, including embodiments which do not provideall of the features and advantages set forth herein, are also within thescope of this invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention isdefined by the claims that follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. A personal information system, comprising: asubscriber computer with an optical disk drive; a portable optical diskreadable by the optical disk drive, wherein all information recorded onthe portable optical disk is configured to be removed by a user; adatabase management server comprising a database including personal dataand an optical disk writer wherein the optical disk writer writes thepersonal data to the portable optical disk said personal data beingviewable and downloadable by the subscriber computer; and a subscriberinterface comprising an Internet web browser wherein the Internetbrowser is used to view personal data on the portable optical disk andto update the personal data stored on the database management server.